Follow the author of this article

Follow the topics within this article

Donald Trump, who once claimed climate change was a hoax invented by the Chinese, appeared to reverse course dramatically as he met Al Gore, the environmental activist and former US Vice President.

Mr Gore, who has devoted his time since leaving office to the issue, praised the businessman for what he called a "sincere" discussion.

He said: "I had a lengthy and very productive session with the president-elect. It was a sincere search for areas of common ground. I found it an extremely interesting conversation, and to be continued."

Mr Gore had gone to Trump Tower in New York for what was expected to be a meeting with the billionaire's daughter Ivanka, who reportedly wants to make climate change a signature issue in her role as first daughter.

But Mr Gore, who won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his climate change campaigning, said he spent the bulk of his time there talking to the president-elect.

The decision to meet Mr Gore appeared at odds with views previously expressed by Mr Trump.

In 2012 Mr Trump said: "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive."

NBC News just called it the great freeze - coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?

He also previously vowed to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement, while also cutting funding for renewable energy projects.

However, following his election victory on Nov 8, Mr Trump appeared to soften his stance.

In an interview with the New York Times two weeks later the president-elect said he now believed there was "some connectivity" between human activity and climate change. He added: "Clean air is vitally important."

On the subject of the Paris agreement he added: "I’m looking at it very closely. I have an open mind to it."

Ivanka Trump, 35, who has influence over her father, has taken several political stances to the left of traditional Republican Party.

During the campaign she convinced him to support more resources for child care and paid family leave.

It has emerged that she and her husband Jared Kushner, who has also become one of the president-elect's closest advisers, have begun house-hunting in Washington.

Their move to the capital from New York, with three children, indicated they plan to play a major role as advisers in Mr Trump's Administration.

Mr Kushner, 35, developed into a highly influential figure during the campaign and has been instrumental in recent government appointments.

Ivanka Trump's role in the White House has yet to be defined but she sat in on a meeting between her father and Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe in New York.

Meanwhile, Mr Mr Trump was reportedly considering Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets American football team, to serve as US Ambassador to the UK.

The New York Post reported he was being looked at for the post in return for his loyalty to Mr Trump.

Mr Johnson previously worked on Jeb Bush's presidential bid but then endorsed Mr Trump and hosted fundraising events for him.

Mr Trump announced Dr Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who ran against him for the Republican presidential nomination, would serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Dr Carson, a religious conservative, will be tasked with a mission to turn around America's troubled inner cities.

He was selected despite having no experience in housing policy, but his childhood growing up in poverty in Detroit was cited as a qualification for the job.

Mr Trump said: "Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families.

"We have talked at length about my urban renewal agenda and our message of economic revival, very much including our inner cities."